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𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞
...🏀...
𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓, 𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐋
𝐌𝐀𝐘 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟓
The late afternoon sun spilled through the blinds, painting streaks of amber across my bedroom walls. The faint hum of a basketball game on the TV downstairs buzzed like white noise in the background. My pacing made the old hardwood creak beneath my feet as I cradled Leila in my arms, her small fingers gripping the ends of my hair like I was her lifeline.
"Nathan, will you please sit down?" My voice wavered between frustration and worry as I turned to him.
He stood by the edge of my dresser, leaning heavily on his crutches. His lopsided grin, which I usually fall for, now only infuriated me.
"Mylah, stop worrying," he said, his tone soft but firm.
"Stop worrying?" I shot him a look, my hands tightening protectively around Leila. "You've been out of the hospital for three days. Three. You shouldn't even be standing."
Nathan adjusted his weight on the crutches, ignoring my plea. "The doctor said I needed to move around."
"No," I said sharply, my free hand landing on my hip. "He said you're on a week of bed rest. You had major surgery, Nathan. You almost—" I bit down on the words before they spilled, tasting the bitterness of what-ifs. Sensing my shift, Leila squirmed in my arms and made a sharp cry.
I bounced her lightly. "See? Even Leila agrees with me."
Nathan's grin returned, more sheepish this time. He hobbled toward the bed and lowered himself down, his movements careful and deliberate. "Okay, okay. I'm sitting. Happy now?"
I didn't answer, too focused on keeping my breathing steady. When I approached him, he reached out, gently tugging me closer. His arms slid around my waist, pulling me between his legs, the weight of his touch grounding me.
"I'm fine," he murmured, his voice dropping low, the kind of tone that made it hard to stay mad at him. His blue eyes searched mine, warm and full of that stupid, stubborn hope he always carried. "I love you."
I couldn't help it; the corners of my mouth twitched upward. "I love you too," I whispered back, just as Leila babbled something between us, her chubby arms reaching for him.
"Da-da,"
Nathan froze, his brows lifting. "Did she just—?"
"Da-da," Leila said again, her little voice clear and deliberate.
My jaw dropped. "Oh my God, Nathan, she said it!" I shifted her toward him, laughing despite the nerves still simmering in my chest.
Nathan's face lit up like the Christmas tree in front of City Hall. "I'd be jumping right now if I could," he said, pulling Leila into his arms. She squealed in delight, patting his cheeks with her tiny hands.
